Why Trust Recovery Guide According to SAMHSA’s 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, approximately 4.8 million people aged 12 or older reported using cocaine in the past year. This figure has grown significantly over the past decade.
This is problematic because of the long-term impact the drug has on their physical and mental health.
Not only does cocaine affect the reward centers of the brain, but it can also reduce a person’s ability to recognize their need for sleep. This, in turn, can lead to the development of a sleep disorder called insomnia, which may affect a person’s amount of sleep and sleep quality as well as other sleep-related issues.
Cocaine isn’t the only drug that leads to sleep deprivation. People in treatment for opioid use disorders using the opioid methadone may also experience sleep disturbances.
Like any other health issue related to addiction, insomnia has to be treated differently because of the potential dependency issues at play.
To help secure adequate substance use disorder treatment for a loved one affected by a cocaine use disorder and insomnia, learn more about both conditions.
Can Long-Term Cocaine Use Lead To Insomnia?
Cocaine use and insomnia can simultaneously occur because the effects of cocaine work to speed up the central nervous system.
This is much different than the effects of other commonly misused substances, like opioids or benzodiazepines, which can slow it down. Not long after the powdery substance is snorted or injected into the body, a person will feel an instant euphoric sensation because it causes the brain to release more dopamine.
Dopamine increases a person’s heart rate and makes them feel more energetic. But the dopamine boost doesn’t last very long.
Those who have a cocaine dependence, or chemical dependency on the drug, try to keep up the sensation. They don’t want to feel the withdrawal effects that stopping the drug can cause.
When this continues on a long-term basis, the brain essentially becomes rewired to not be able to recognize the need for sleep, leading to sleep problems.
Medical professionals believe this occurs because those with a cocaine addiction often binge on the drug for several days straight. This causes changes in the human circadian rhythms (internal sleep cycle), affecting their rapid eye movement cycle (REM sleep), sleep quality, and total sleep time when they do rest.
How Withdrawal From Cocaine Use Leads To Insomnia
Insomnia from cocaine withdrawal doesn’t usually begin until several days after a person stops using.
At first, they will sleep better than they have for a long time. This is because their central nervous system is crashing from exhaustion.
Once the cocaine has been flushed from the body during the detoxification process, it is common for a person to have poor sleep for at least six months.
This can be problematic because not getting enough sleep causes memory and learning deficits, which are comparable to those a person would have from drinking several alcoholic beverages.
During this time, a person struggling with cocaine addiction may experience a relapse. They try to correct the impairments caused by insomnia from cocaine withdrawal in the only way they know how to.
Treatment For Cocaine Use And Addiction
Treatment for cocaine use begins with a detoxification process to help flush the drug out of the body. Although the amount of time can vary, this can take up to three weeks to complete.
Detox depends on how long a person has been using cocaine and which withdrawal symptoms they are experiencing. After this, individual and group therapy sessions can begin in inpatient treatment or outpatient treatment programs.
Potential Sleep Medications Or Aids
It can be unsafe for individuals addicted to cocaine to take any medications for insomnia that could be addictive.
Cannabis has been explored as a sleep aid, but current research suggests it may reduce REM sleep with regular use. This is counterproductive for people recovering from cocaine use, where REM disruption is already a significant problem.
Treatment programs will integrate any medications that may be necessary to aid in detox. Sometimes, natural remedies are allowed to help get the circadian cycle back to normal, such as chamomile tea and melatonin.
Sleep Hygiene
Beyond natural remedies, structured sleep hygiene practices can meaningfully support recovery from cocaine-related insomnia.
These include maintaining fixed sleep and wake times, eliminating screens for at least an hour before bed, keeping the bedroom cool and dark, avoiding caffeine after noon, and using relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation before sleep.
These practices are most effective when combined with CBT-I and ongoing recovery support.
CBT
Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) has strong clinical evidence for treating sleep disorders, including those that develop during cocaine withdrawal and recovery.
CBT-I retrains the brain’s sleep patterns without medication, making it particularly well-suited for people in recovery who need to avoid potentially habit-forming sleep aids.
Anyone whose sleep patterns have been affected by cocaine use must get the treatment that they need.
Start Your Recovery Journey Today
Sleep and recovery are deeply connected. Browse our directory to find substance use disorder treatment programs that address co-occurring sleep issues. You can also contact SAMHSA for free and confidential support.
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- National Institute on Drug Abuse — What are the long-term effects of cocaine use?
https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/cocaine